All of these terms were used throughout the years for the place of residence and the burial locations of folks who were indigent and therefore dependent on the community for their care and welfare. Some of these individuals were simply unable to make a living any longer and had no family to care for them, while others were criminals or outcasts for one reason or another.
Poorhouses were residential institutions to which people were required to go if they could not support themselves. They were started as a method of providing a less expensive (to the taxpayers) alternative to what we would now days call
"welfare" - what was called
"outdoor relief" in those days. People requested help from the community
"Overseer of the Poor" (sometimes also called a Poor Master) - an elected town official. If the need was great or likely to be long-term, they were sent to the poorhouse instead of being given relief while they continued to live independently. Sometimes they were sent there even if they had not requested help from the Overseer of the Poor. That was usually done when they were found guilty of begging in public, etc.
People have always felt obligated to honor the dead with a decent burial. Due to this, potter's fields were set up in most counties and states as a place to bury those who were indigent,
"unbefriended", and those who had died as criminals.
See more about this subject along with lists of cemeteries and databases of some of the folks who are buried in them at:

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
There was but little of importance took place in the County Court throughout the
years 1859 and 1860. January 1, 1861, found a new era ushering itself in on the
management of coilnty government all over Iowa. The previous Legislature had enacted
a new law, by which a Board of County Supervision took many of the former duties and
responsibilities of the County Jndge, who had been sole ruler of his people! Under this
law, each township in the county was entitled to a representation by a member of the board.
[1890-Page 263]

POOR FARM.
[1880-Page 429]
Asylums for the poor, the disabled and the unfortunate, are peculiarly
christian institutions, it has been said, and they become more common
with the growth of civilization. None of the heathen nations, Rome,
Greece or Macedon, in their times of greatest wealth and power, ever established
any public institutions for the relief of the destitute, but in this
age a state, or even a county of any considerable size or prosperity, would
be considered far behind in all the elements of progress unless some
provision was made for the care of paupers and other unfortunates.
Page County has been remarkably free from abject poverty, but nevertheless
has been diligent and generous in providing a place for those too
poor to have any other. Care is taken to make the institution adapted to
its purpose and to keep it always in good order.

The farm was purchased in April, 1878, and consists of 170 acres of
fine land. It lies adjacent to the town of Clarinda on the west, about
one-half mile from the corporation line. Ever since the farm was purchased
it has been under the supervision of Mr. G. L. Shaul, and a more accomplished man
for the place it would have been hard to have found. Since
the land was purchased by the county it has been improved and arranged
with the express purpose of making all the buildings permanent and the
entire surroundings adapted to the purpose for which the farm was purchased by the county.

The following shows the amount of warrants issued and cancelled on
the "Poor farm" fund from the time it was purchased by the county in
April, 1878, to January 1, 1880:

Poor Farm,

$5,280.85

Poor House,

$3,247.00

One span Mules,

$225.00

One span Horses,

$250.00

Grain,

$114.69

Stock,

$163.10

Harness,

$69.00

Farming Implements,

$170.00

Bedsteads,

$6.50

Sewing Machine,

$40.00

----------

Total,

$9,506.14

There was paid out of the county fund for stock, improvements and expenses for the "Poor Farm",
in 1878, $1,488.05, and in 1879, $2,542.59, making the total amount paid for the "Poor Farm",
with buildings, improvements, stock and expenses, $13,537.68. The whole amount of warrants issued
have been paid off and cancelled.

The expenses of the farm, for the twenty-two ]22] months ending
January 1, 1880, and the products of the farm for the year 1879, were as follows:

At the June 1877 session the Board of Supervisors had the "Poor Farm" matter under advisement and concluded
to submit the same to the people. The proposition was to levy a two-mill tax,
by which to raise $10,000 and with it purchase and improve a farm upon which to provide
for the county's unfortunate poor. At the election determining the matter the vote
stood 678 to 947, in favor of the measure.

At the June 1879 session that year Gilbert L. SHANE, 43yrs, the Steward of the "Poor Farm", rendered the
following report to the board, which was for fifteen months ending June 1, 1879.
Amount produced:

George S. SHAWL, farmer and steward of the county poor farm,
section 36; born in Knox county, Missouri in October, 1846.
When he was three months old his parents came to Iowa ,
locating in Wapello county. He came to Page county in 1876,
and assumed the conduct of the poor farm.
His first term giving general satisfaction, he was retained for a
term of three years.
He is a successful farmer and a good financier

Board of Supervisors of 1881: J.W. Turner (chairman), C.A. Johnson, and Peter Seisher.
The first business attended to by the board of that year was, to appoint a commiittee to
go to the poor farm and make an itemized inventory of all that belonged to the premises.
The report was as follows:

Farm

$10,500

Horses

$540

Cattle

$890

Hogs

$519

Poultry

$44

Hay and Grain

$840

Farm Implements

$444

Household Goods

$200

Sundries

$245

Total valne

$14,312

Board of Supervisors of 1883: P. Swisher (chairman), C. A. JOHNSON, and W.M. Alexander.
The only matter worthy of record in this connection for that year is the report made
by P.B. Cain, steward of the Poor Farm, which gives the nurmber of paupers received
each month, and number in the house:

MONTH

RECEIVED

IN THE HOUSE

January

2

13

February

2

14

March

6

19

April

1

13

May

4

12

June

2

10

July

2

9

August

9

September

2

ll

October

ll

November

2

9

December

9

17

One child born and one person died during the time included in the above report.

THE COUNTY POOR FARM.
[1890-Page 265]
The thing of all others that distinguishes Christian from pagan lands is their charitable
and humane institutions. In the old ancient kingdoms the poor as well as those
unfortucate creatures who were born blind or dumb, or in any way maimed or impaired in
a physical scnse, were cast out from society, or in some ages of the world put to death
soon after birth. But to-day Christian civilization has builded homes and hospitals for
unfortunates of all classes, and the same are kept at public expense. We have our deaf
and dumb institutes; our colleges for the blind; our reform schools; our orphans' homes;
our asylums for the feeble-minded; our soldiers' homes; our insane hospitals,
and our homes for the erring and friendless; and last, though not least, we have establisihed
in Iowa a system for caring for our unfortunate poor. They are not even like the
almshouses of the East, but homes indeed for those on whom financial prosperity has not
seemed to smile. We term them "Poor Farms" usually situated near the connty seats.
Prior to the inauguration of this system the county provided, as best they could,
for their [Page 266] poor people by hiring some one to board them, but finding this too complicated and
expensive, they petitioned for the present [1890] poor-farm system.
It was in 1878 that Page County deemed it prudent to purchase land for such a home
for her poor people. By an act of the Board of Supervisors (after first lawfully submitting
the question to the voters) 170 acres of land was purchased on section 36 of township
69, range 37, in the civil township of Nodaway, and is only a mile and a half west
of Clarinda, the county seat. The county have erected suitable buildings, made proper
improvements, and managed to make the place self-sustaining.
The following gives the expenses incidental to opening up the poor farm:

Cost of Land,

$5,280

Erection of Building,

$3,247

Mules and Horses,

$475

Grain and Stock,

$274

Implements,

$170

Sewing-Machine, etc.,

$50

Making a Total of Cost,

$9,506

Much concerning the expenses in income from this farm, in connection with the poor,
will be found in the chapter relating to the proceedings of the Board of Supervisors.
The following is a transcript of the County Treasurer's Report, and will serve to show the
present financial standing at this time: